Self-lubricating surgical glove

ABSTRACT

A self lubricating surgical glove for use by physicians and others especially in making vaginal and rectal examinations. It is made of flexible rubber or plastic material and has mounted on the tip of one of the glove finger stalls, such as the glove thumb stall, a hollow isolated compartment or bubble containing a water soluble lubricant, so that when the glove is on the hand, a simple squeezing pressure by one of the other fingers, breaks open the bubble to discharge its lubricant onto the glove stalls for lubricating them.

United States Patent [191 Seltzer Oct. 14, 1975 SELF-LUBRICATING SURGICAL GLOVE [75] Inventor: Murray Harold Seltzer, Short Hills,

[73] Assignee: Lawrence Peska Associates, Inc., New York, N.Y. a part interest [22] Filed: Jan. 4, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 430,634

52 U.S.C1. ..2/167;2/168;2/163;

128/260 [51] 1m.ci. A41D 19/00 581 Field of Search 128/157, 260, 262, 79,

128/132 R, 172, 2 R; 2/159, 161 R, 167, 168,163,16, 21

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,792,835 5/1957 Ferguson 128/260 2,904,041 9/1959 Brown 128/132 R 3,387,307 6/1968 Blatz 2/167 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 540,241 10/1941 United Kingdom 128/262 Primary ExamineF-Geo. V. Larkin [57] ABSTRACT A self lubricating surgical glove for use by physicians and others especially in making vaginal and rectal examinations. It is made of flexible rubber or plastic material and has mounted on the tip of one of the glove finger stalls, such as the glove thumb stall, a hollow isolated compartment or bubble containing a water soluble lubricant, so that when the glove is on the hand, a simple squeezing pressure by one of the other fingers, breaks open the bubble to discharge its lubricant onto the glove stalls for lubricating them.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures Oct. 14, 1975 US. Patent SELF-LUBRICATING SURGICAL GLOVE This invention relates to improvements in surgical gloves for use by physicians, surgeons and others, with simplified self lubricating means.

An object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved surgical glove which is usable by physicians, surgeons and others, the glove being self lubricating by simple means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved surgical glove which is made of lightweight flexible sheet material, such as thin rubber or rubber-like material, or of plastics, the glove being provided with a hollow pocket or compartment on one of its finger stalls, such as the thumb portion or elsewhere, at the end portion of the finger stall, there being a water soluble lubricant contained in this pocket compartment, so that when the compartment is burst open the lubricant is released to lubricate the glove finger stall or finger stalls.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved self-lubricating surgical glove, for use by surgeons and physicians especially making rectal and vaginal examinations of patients, without the need for taking time to look for a glove and also for the lubricant to be placed on the glove before conducting the examination.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved self-lubricating surgical glove with an easily breakable thin walled hollow bubble portion on the tip of the thumb stall of the glove and containing a lubricant to be released on bursting the bubble.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved self-lubricating surgical glove which is simple in design and construction and can be made by mass production methods at low cost, for being discarded after each use, and also which uses and wastes less lubricant than by existing separate lubrication of the glove.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the glove in place on the hand of the user with the lubricant bubble not yet burst open.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the surgical glove of FIG. 1, but showing the index finger in its stall bursting open the lubricant bubble to release the lubricant.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken substantially on Plane 33 of FIG. 1.

As is known, rectal and vaginal examinations are performed daily by physicians, surgeons and paramedical people in great numbers all over the world to determine existing conditions and aid in treatment where needed. To avoid irritation during the examination, the physician normally wears a lightweight glove made of rubber or plastic material and applies a coating of a water soluble lubricant to the finger stalls of the glove before conducting the examination.

Much valuable time is wasted or lost in getting the glove and lubricant and in applying the lubricant to it, and it is thus a great inconvenience in the procedure. Accordingly, I propose the manufacture of a disposable rubber or plastic glove with an easily breakable hollow bubble portion on the tip of the thumb stall of the glove, to be worn on either hand, the bubble portion containing the lubricant to be released on rupture or breaking of the bubble.

In order to understand clearly the nature of the invention reference may be had to the drawings, in which like numerals denote similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown there is the rubber or surgical glove 10, in position on the hand 12 of the surgeon, with the finger stalls 13 of the glove occupied by the fingers of the hand of the surgeon. On the outer end portion of the thumb stall part 14 of the glove, there is formed a hollow compartment or bubble 15 made of thin rubber or I plastic material somewhat like or the same as the rest of the finger stalls of the glove and having a hollow chamber 16 inside the bubble. The bubble compartment 15 is preferably integral with stall 14 as shown in FIG. 3.

The bubble chamber 16 contains two or three cubic centimeters or two or three grams of a water soluble lubricant 17 as seen in FIG. 3. Such lubricants are sterile and water soluble, and are placed on the market under various trade names or marks, such as the product KY sterile lubricant sold by Johnson & Johnson Corp. of New Jersey, and others. To avoid accidental leakage from expansion of the lurbicant under varying temperature conditions, it is best to not completely fill the bubble with the lubricant. It can be filled by any known means, by a hypodermic syringe, such as is used to fill jelly doughnuts with jelly, and sealed with a rubber compound.

In use, the surgeon first puts on the glove, and just before using it in the examination, he merely bursts or breaks open the bubble by pressing it with his index or middle finger, as shown in FIG. 2, releasing the lubricant to lubricate the finger stalls of the glove. The broken bubble being integral with the thumb stall would remain thereon and not interfere with the examination, and not be lost in the body cavity being examined.

It is thus seen that the invention provides a self contained unit of glove and lubricant, and avoids the searching for the separate tube of lubricant, and further that it uses and wastes less lubricant than heretofore. Further, it is a very sanitary device in use.

Although the invention has been described in specific terms, it is understood that various changes may be made in size, shape, materials and arrangement without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having herein described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A surgical glove for use by physicians in conducting internal examinations of patients, comprising a glove constructed of thin flexible sheet material for receiving and adapted to fit snugly over the hand and all fingers of the user and including a plurality of finger stalls and a thumb stall, one of said stalls having a liquid compartment integral therewith, said compartment being adapted to receive and releasably retain a lubricant therein.

2. A glove according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of finger stalls are operative to engage each other and said thumb stall when received on said hand.

3. A glove according to claim 1, wherein said lubricant is water soluble and is adapted to be released prior to or during the examination.

partment is on the distal end of one of said finger stalls and is adapted to be broken or burst by squeezing pressure by said thumb stall upon the compartment to release said lubricant. 

1. A surgical glove for use by physicians in conducting internal examinations of patients, comprising a glove constructed of thin flexible sheet material for receiving and adapted to fit snugly over the hand and all fingers of the user and including a plurality of finger stalls and a thumb stall, one of said stalls having a liquid compartment integral therewith, said compartment being adapted to receive and releasably retain a lubricant therein.
 2. A glove according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of finger stalls are operative to engage each other and said thumb stall when received on said hand.
 3. A glove according to claim 1, wherein said lubricant is water soluble and is adapted to be released prior to or during the examination.
 4. A glove according to claim 3, wherein said compartment is on the distal end of the thumb stall and is adapted to be broken or burst by squeezing pressure by another finger stall upon the compartment to release said lubricant.
 5. A glove according to claim 1, wherein said compartment is on the distal end of one of said finger stalls and iS adapted to be broken or burst by squeezing pressure by said thumb stall upon the compartment to release said lubricant. 